Until I Met You
by himapapaya
Summary: Beyond had always considered himself to be worthless, and undeserving of any kind of affection. That is, until he met Misa.
1. Meeting

**A/N: Here is the one-shot I promised you all. It doesn't have the best plot – it barely has a plot at all, actually – nor the best writing, but I did write it fairly quickly after finishing chapter five of MSDS. I apologize for the delay with that story, and hope you enjoy this one. ^_^ Because it is B x Misa, it is, for the most part, AU. Expect "kawaii fluffiness", as a friend of mine that read this so eloquently put it. ^.^  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.**

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"AH! N-no, please, stop! That really hurts, p-please don't– AHHHH!"

"Now, dear, we can't have you attracting such attention to yourself, now can we? You'll ruin my fun!"

A sickening sound followed, and the blood-covered woman that lied on the ground, writhing in pain, could no longer cry out in protest and terror. The man gripping the knife that had mutilated the girl so badly stabbed the knife through the poor woman, going so far that he thought that it had gone _through _her. Although this would normally excite him, neither her screams of pain, nor pleas for help, and not even the tears that streamed from her eyes could interest him in the least. In fact, he cared so little about this particular victim that he almost seemed...bored?

Yes, that was it. Beyond Birthday, who was normally filled with delight when he heard his victims scream in pain and watched their blood spill out onto the floor, was bored. To him, it seemed that killing the same kind of victims over and over again was losing interest – all of his victims had reached the end of their life, and he decided to do them a justice by killing them before their original cause of death could get them first. Nothing interesting ever happened after that, until he decided to kill someone else.

So he decided to set a new kind of target.

Someone that was well-known, someone that would cause a lot of controversy if they were found dead, especially if they were found dead while covered in blood and wounds. _Controversy would be quite interesting, _he thought. So he settled for Misa Amane.

Misa Amane, the young pop idol, was already making headlines although she hadn't been a model for very long. She could act, sing and was very attractive. He'd seen her on magazines and in newspaper articles, as well as on the large screens of the televisions in Tokyo. Beyond had even managed to swipe a magazine with her on the cover after he'd decided to kill her, and he kept it in his pockets at all times, to remind himself of his objective. _What a pretty little thing she is, _he thought as removed the magazine from his pocket and admired her image. _It's such a shame that she'll be dead soon. Perhaps her insides are just as lovely as her outside is. _With this thought in mind, Beyond stepped away from the now-deceased woman lying in a pool of her own blood. His trademark symbol, a jagged and very bloody "B", had been carved into her stomach, as a means of taunting the police. He grinned as he fled from the scene, knowing that a witness could appear at any time. _Soon, _B thought, _I will leave my mark upon Misa Amane._

_

* * *

_

In a very convenient turn of events, the next newspaper Beyond could get his hands on had written an article about Misa appearing in a public park the day that he obtained it. The park wasn't too far away from the rundown, abandoned warehouse that Beyond had been calling home for several months. Misa was going to be singing, and answering some questions for her fans. He could have easily waited for the idol to finish her little show before following her home, but as if it couldn't get any easier for him, the newspaper had also included the address of her apartment, urging her fans to send her lots of fan mail and things, because "Misa-Misa likes them!" The performance was to be held between noon and 4 PM, so Beyond saw his chance. At a quarter to four, Beyond, not even bothering to make sure that no one was around – he knew that they'd all gone to see Misa – self-confidently strolled into the building and walked over to the empty front desk. A sign stated simply, "Gone to see Misa-Misa; be back at four." _How very convenient, _he thought. Going behind the counter, he searched the desk for anything that would give away the location of Misa's room. Sure enough, he found a list with the name of the occupant of each room, and discovered that Miss Amane was in room 204. Taking the master key from the desk, he continued on his way to her room, not caring that he was about to kill off one of the world's most adored idols. This was for his enjoyment, and that was all that mattered.

When he arrived at her room, he used the master key to unlock the door, and walked in, quietly. _Now, _he thought. _I have a few more hours before Miss Amane arrives. What should I do until then...?_

He decided to raid her fridge first – it's not like she'd be needing the half-empty jar of strawberry jam, nor would she be needing the still-closed jar. After he'd eaten all of the first jar and most of the contents of the second, there was a turn of the door handle. Almost grinning in excitement, he quickly put the jam back in the fridge, shut the refrigerator door, and sprinted into her bedroom, where he hid in the closet.

For a moment, there was silence. A thick, almost uncomfortable silence, that could only be described as the calm before the storm.

And then she walked into the room, the pigtails that he'd always seen her with no longer bouncing on top of her head. _She's even more beautiful in person, especially without those pigtails. _Beyond thought. _Shame that I have to kill her. _ Misa seemed completely unaware of his presence as she turned her back to the closet and changed out of her uncomfortably tight clothing. She was just out of Beyond's line of sight while she changed, as if she was avoiding the closet. She came back into B's view moments later, wearing a pair of pants and shirt that didn't really reveal anything. This came as a surprise to Beyond, as all he'd ever seen her wear were clothes that barely covered her body. He assumed that her night attire would be the same, if not worse. Misa was brushing her long, golden hair, when she paused, as if she'd realized something, or had seen something, but she soon resumed her brushing.

"I know you're there." she said simply, still brushing her hair.

Beyond was taken aback. _Does she mean __ME?_ he wondered.

She turned to face the closet, a small frown making its way onto her face. "I _said_, I know you're there. Come out already."

_How did she know? _B wondered. _I'm completely hidden, so how...? _

Deciding to comply with the blonde's demands, he slid the closet door open and stepped out. "You are far more intelligent than you seem, Miss Amane."

She frowned at him. "Thank you." she muttered in an irritated tone.

"How did you know that I was in here, Miss Amane?" B inquired. He had to know how this seemingly ignorant and clueless girl had noticed him, apparently, right off the bat.

"I'm an idol. I know when I'm being watched." she replied, setting the hairbrush down. "Though, the red letters over your head were more of a dead giveaway."

_Red letters? Does she mean–?_

"Nice eyes." Misa continued, looking over at him with a bit of a smirk on her face. "I don't suppose that you ever considered that there might be someone else with the same ones." For a brief moment, he saw her ice blue eyes flashed crimson, and he could only stare speechlessly. She had the same eyes as him? But...how?

"So," she mumbled, turning away from him, "have you come to kill me?"

"You truly are amazing." he muttered sinisterly, allowing an evil cackle to leave his lips. "Yes, Miss Amane, I am here to kill you."

"Then do it."

"...What?"

"You heard me. Do it." She turned to look at him again, still frowning. "I hate being adored and fawned over by every person I meet, because they're only fawning over Misa-Misa, not Misa Amane. I didn't think I'd hate it as much as I actually do. I'd be happier if everyone just forgot my name, because the minute I mess up, no one's going to be on my side." She sat down on her bed, and sighed. "I don't want to live for the limelight. I just...I want to be happy. And I'll never be happy living like this."

Beyond stared at her in shock. Was Misa Amane, the famous idol, really saying that she wanted to die, and that her life was miserable? It couldn't be. She had it all, and yet she claimed that she was suffering so much that she desired death...

"...no." he mumbled.

"What?"

"I won't kill you."

Misa's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "What made you change your mind?"

"I see no reason to kill a person who is already dead inside." he said, giving her a small, sad smile. "People like us were born to suffer, to make others feel better about themselves, and that is how we are to die."

He turned to leave, having seen no reason to stay, but Misa latched onto his arm and prevented him from leaving. "Wait!" she exclaimed.

Beyond tensed a bit when he felt Misa's small hands grab his arms, but he soon relaxed. "What is it, Miss Amane?"

"You...I know you." She grabbed Beyond's face with her fingers – soft, lithe fingers – and turned his face to examine him closer. "I've seen you around those murder scenes where the police can't figure out the killer, but it's always the same guy. He leaves a mark on his victims' skin, doesn't he? And...you're him, aren't you?"

A look of both fear and awe quickly flashed on Beyond's face. _She is far more astute than I thought..._

"I always thought it'd be cool to die at the hands of someone like you," she told him, grinning, "but the fact that I managed to live despite being your next victim is even cooler."

"Don't push your luck, Amane." Beyond responded, his voice lowering to a growl. "I can change my mind quite easily."

"Sorry, sorry." Misa said dismissively. "Anyway, you shouldn't go out there. There could be police down there, and they might be able to find out who you are."

"What?" he said, turning to face Misa. "But how would they k–"

_FLASH!_

Beyond was suddenly blinded by a bright flash of light that threatened to take away his eyesight. When he blinked and his eyes went back into focus, he saw Misa holding a camera. His eyes widened further.

"Did you just take a picture of me?" he questioned.

"Yep." Misa replied nonchalantly. She pouted a bit at the camera. "You know, you'd look so much cuter if you'd smile."

"Why did you take a picture of me?" Beyond demanded, ignoring Misa's second statement.

"Because." she replied, grinning a bit. "Now, I have your picture. I could totally show this to the police and tell them that you not only tried to kill me, but admitted that you were killing all those people. And you'd get arrested."

B didn't respond – he could tell that she had something else to add.

"However," she continued, "I suppose I could help you out, instead."

"And _why_ would you do that?" Beyond asked through clenched teeth.

"The place where you're staying probably isn't nice, is it?" Misa asked, ignoring his statement. "I don't mean anything hurtful when I say this, but it's probably cold and old and unsanitary, am I right?"

"Well, yes, you're right, but I don't understand. That statement was out of the blue, Miss Ama–"

"Shh," Misa said, pressing a finger to B's lips and effectively silencing him. "Since you've got nowhere better to stay and because I'm totally bored, you can stay with me."

"Why would you offer me such a thing?" he asked, grabbing Misa's arm and moving it off of his mouth. "I am a killer, Miss Amane. It would be extremely easy for me to kill you in your sleep, if you allowed me to stay here."

"And I already told you that I don't care." she replied carelessly. "Any other complaints?"

"The main reason is still because I am a killer. I would most likely return here covered in blood." he continued. "And there is a lobbyist in the front – how would I get past him?"

"As long as you wash anything you stain, I don't mind the blood." Misa told him, giving a small smile. "And there's a secret passage of sorts that leads into this building, and then a staircase that leads to this floor. I use it a lot when I'm stressed, but no one else knows about it. If you choose to stay, I'll show it to you."

"Well...what about you, Amane?" Beyond said in protest. "You have your own life, don't you? A significant other, and friends? Wouldn't I come in conflict with those things?"

Misa chuckled. "A significant other, huh?" she muttered. "No, I'm afraid that I don't have one of those. There isn't an honest man in show business – not one that I've met – and honesty is one of the most important features I look for in a man. As for friends, I guess you could say that I have some, but they're more fair-weather friends than anything, so I don't see them much. I have one close friend, but he doesn't come over here. He doesn't like the crowds." Misa gave B a grin. "In other words, you've no reason to turn down my offer, unless you just don't want to stay for comfort reasons. If that's it, you can go."

Beyond stood, staring at Misa. Why...why would she do this for him? "...you never told me, Amane." he muttered, his grip on her arm slackening. "Why are you doing this?"

Misa giggled lightly – a lovely sound – and captured one of B's hands in hers. "It's because I like you." she explained. "I don't know what it is, but something about you makes me want to comfort you. And the first way to comfort someone is by being their friend, right?"

"...I guess." B muttered.

"Then you'll stay?" Misa asked, visibly brightening.

"...Whatever." he responded, looking away from Misa.

"Great! You sleep on the couch!" she exclaimed, using her grip on B's hand to drag him into the living room. She made her way over to the couch and, after removing the cushions, pulled out an unfolding bed. "It's actually pretty comfortable. Sometimes I sleep on it instead of my other bed. But, for now, I'll relinquish it to you!"

Beyond frowned. "...thank you." Then, when Misa's smile widened, he quickly added, "But don't think that I'm staying with you because I like you. I don't."

However, her smile only widened further, and she gave him a quick pat on the back before turning to walk into her room. As she closed the door, Beyond thought he heard her say, "You'll get over that."

* * *

In this manner, Beyond began to stay in Misa's large apartment. The next day, when Misa realized that she'd let him move in without asking his name, she demanded that he tell her. "My name is Beyond Birthday," he'd said. "You may call me Beyond." Misa told him that she liked his name, but although she liked it, she never really called him by it. Normally, she'd call him "B" – which he hated – or "Ichigo", referencing to his love of strawberry jam. When she first began to call him "Ichigo", he hated it, but as time went on, he grew used to it.

One day, he'd gone out back to his old home to retrieve the things he'd left there – some knives and a scalpel, as well as some other tools for murder – and he used the secret passageway that Misa had showed him to reenter the apartment complex. When he arrived at Misa's room, he purposefully pulled out the oldest knife – it had several blood stains on it from his first murders – in an attempt to scare her. When she saw it, however, she merely shrugged and said, "Just don't let anyone see it."

Beyond didn't understand it. She knew he was trying to scare her, so why didn't she get angry? Better yet, why didn't she try to kick him out? He would've left if she told him to. After all, there was no way that she _really _wanted him there, right? And, even if she did...well, why him? What good would him living there do her?

_Oh, I see. _There must've been some kind of ulterior motive behind Misa's seemingly kind action. But what was it? Maybe she had been really terrified of him before, and so to get him back, she was going to make him feel like he had a friend for the first time, and then she'd have him arrested. She did, after all, still have his picture.

But Misa didn't seem like that kind of girl. Even if her bright, cheerful demeanor had fooled him into thinking that she was nothing but a clueless ditz, he felt as though her desire to care for and to take care of others wasn't false. She was truly happy and kind, a good person.

Someone that scum like him didn't deserve to be associated with.

A man such as himself, one that enjoyed bringing others pain and misery, didn't deserve to have a friend, or even an acquaintance. People like that were meant to suffer, and to make others suffer. He knew this, but he also knew that he'd never change, even if he wanted to. So, he attempted to distance himself from Misa, as much as he could. He didn't want her to work her charm on him, because if she did, he'd have no choice but to want her as a friend. He couldn't allow Misa to bewitch him. Unfortunately for Beyond, when the days that he'd been staying with her turned into months, his resolve began to weaken incredibly.

Misa noticed this lessening in protest, and so she decided to say something about it. She was not one to give up easily. "You know, you don't talk to me that much." she'd said one day while they were eating dinner, sitting across from each other at the table. It was completely out of the blue, she knew, but she had to address the situation. "Is it because you don't like me?"

"No, that isn't it, Misa–I-I mean, Miss Amane." he responded nervously. He'd grown so used to being with Misa that he constantly had to remind himself to keep his distance, physically and emotionally. Calling her anything other than "Miss Amane" would be too informal.

"Then why don't you ever talk to me?" Misa inquired. "I mean, you won't even call me by my first name. I thought that friends were supposed to do that."

Beyond frowned, setting down the fork he'd been holding and staring down at it. "That's just it, I'm afraid. I have no desire to befriend you, Miss Amane." he said coldly. He half-expected Misa to be tearing up, or angry, but when he raised his eyes to look at her, she was giving him a look that said plainly, "You're lying."

And then, she said it verbally. "You're not a good liar when it's about stuff like this, are you? I can see it in your eyes, Beyond – you want to be friends with me really bad."

"That isn't true," Beyond protested, sounding angry. "I am only staying here because you offered to allow me to do so, and because my old home was unsuitable to live in."

"And you're still lying." Misa said, rolling her eyes. "Beyond, dear, you can't lie to me. I see right through you. Now, what's the real reason you refuse to let yourself get close to me?" When her words were met with silence, she stood and walked over to him, the pigtails on her head bouncing with each step. She pulled him out of his chair, forcing him to stand. "Come now, you can tell me." When he refused to let his eyes meet hers, she grabbed his chin and turned his head so that he was facing her. "Are you afraid of me or something?"

"...No, that's not it, either." he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

"...Miss Amane, you're a good person. Did you know that?"

Misa blinked in surprise, and her face turned a light shade of pink. "No, no one's ever told me that. Thank you. But what does this have to do with you?"

"You're a wonderful person, Miss Amane," Beyond continued, still not meeting her eyes, "and I am a killer. I get pleasure out of torturing others and making them miserable. Why should I have the honor of being a friend to you, when I myself am scum, and have nothing to offer you?"

"Oh, is that what this is about?" Misa inquired, sighing. "You clearly don't know me, Beyond."

"What do you mean?" he asked, finally meeting her gaze. When he did, she smiled and threw her arms around him, causing his face to go aflame.

"Listen. You being a killer doesn't bother me." she told him, pulling him closer into the hug. "I know that sounds horrible of me, but I honestly don't care about that. I want to get to know _you_, Beyond, and I can't do that if you won't let me. Besides, even if you really are scum as you said, even the worst, most horrible human on the planet deserves to have friends. After all, how can they get better if they don't have friends to help them?" She smiled up at B, and he almost gasped in surprise – it was such a sweet smile, and it made him feel comforted right on the spot, if only for a second. The blush on his face darkened, and Misa paused.

"Hey, your face is all red." she said, bringing up a thin arm to poke his reddened cheek unceasingly.

"Don't poke it!" B protested, flustered. Misa giggled, and continued the onslaught.

"Only if you say you'll be my friend!"

B pouted cutely – at least, Misa thought it was cute – and, as he wrapped his arms around her to return the hug, muttered, "Fine."

"Yay!" Misa exclaimed excitedly, tackling him to the ground with her arms still around him. He hissed in pain when his back hit the ground, but couldn't resist smiling at her cuteness.

"So, from now on, we're best friends!" she announced, smiling down at him.

"Yes." he agreed. "Best friends."

* * *

**A/N: And that is the conclusion of the first portion of this story. As you can see, it's not a one-shot, but the plan I had sort of fell apart. What I originally intended was to make an extremely long one-shot (a bit like what Shizuka no Taisho does), but a friend of mine – Insomniac Panda-Chan – suggested that I instead make it a two-shot. I loved the idea, so here it is. I apologize for the horribly obvious title** –** I could not, for the life of me, think of a better one. Anyhow, the next and final portion of "Until I Met You", along with the next chapter of MSDS, will come out soon. (I may not have them done at the same time, but I will try my best.) Thanks for reading. ^_^**


	2. Falling

**A/N: And here is the final part of "Until I Met You". I enjoyed this two-shot a great deal, far more than I thought I would. I briefly considered making it into a regular fanfic, but I soon noticed that, had I done so, it would've been far too much like Nani Hatake's story "Bad Romance". So, now, here we are. I hope you've all enjoyed this story as much as I have. ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. (If only I did...**

* * *

"Speaking."

_Thinking._

"_Flashback."_

* * *

_"So, from now on, we're best friends!"_

_"Yes. Best friends."_

* * *

Beyond regretted accepting Misa's request for friendship when he went to sleep that night, because when he did so, he also agreed to several things, most of which he wasn't comfortable with. For one, he was no longer allowed to call Misa "Miss Amane". He had to call her "Misa", or "Misa-chan". Because he felt that calling her by just her first name was still too personal, he chose to stick to "Misa-chan". However, as time went on, he slowly began to drop the honorifics, signifying how close they'd become.

He also agreed to letting Misa hug him. Misa was a very affectionate person, he found out, even toward friends. At first, the hugs were somewhat uncomfortable and awkward, but eventually he began to enjoy the gestures of friendship – they comforted him a great deal, especially because Misa preferred long hugs. The longer she held him, the more comfort he felt.

The one thing that he had the most discomfort with agreeing to, however, was to telling Misa if anything was ever wrong with him. He was completely unused to having someone to speak to when something was bothering him – normally, to make the feeling go away, he'd find some poor, unsuspecting victim and, whether or not it was their time, he'd bring them to their end. That was his method of cheering himself up. But, because he knew that Misa wouldn't take "no" for an answer, he agreed anyhow, hoping that it had been a wise decision.

He almost wished that he had turned down her offer completely – even if she didn't have an ulterior motive for wanting to be his friend, he was almost certain that he'd hurt her somehow, and she'd never want to speak to him again, ultimately making him lose the only friend he'd had in a long time. He didn't think he'd be able to take the look he imagined she'd have on her face if anything like that happened. Would it be a mix of anger and sadness, maybe? Or just pure rage? It was too much for him to consider at the moment.

_I'll do my best to be a decent person. _he told himself. _It will be difficult, but I'll try._

With this thought in mind, he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. Due to his insomnia, he was unable to sleep until very late, but when he did, he fell into a deeper sleep than he was accustomed to. Normally, he'd fall asleep at two or three in the morning, but he'd sleep so lightly that anything, even the sound of cars driving past, would wake him up on the spot. Because of this, the area he first stayed in – an abandoned warehouse that almost no one drove by – was ideal for him, although he'd normally be awoken by the sound of water leaking from the roof dropping into a pail of water, or he'd be awoken by the sound of people who walked past his home, talking noisily.

Here, though, all was silent. Misa only ever slept with a fan on, because the sound of the whirring blades lulled her to sleep. She hated attempting to sleep with anything that made too much noise on, like the television, because it pulled her focus away from trying to sleep, and her focus needed to be on falling into the land of slumber and controlling her dreams once she did so. When Beyond asked her why this was, she looked away from him and merely stated, "If I don't, they'll come back."

B never asked Misa who "they" were, because the look on her face and her inability to meet his eyes implied that it was something she was ashamed of, or something that she didn't want to recall. Because of this, despite his growing curiosity, he kept his mouth shut.

As he grew accustomed to staying with Misa, his trust in her grew, and he began to fall into deeper and deeper sleeps. Eventually, it got to the point that he had to be physically jarred to be awoken. He hated being pulled from the land of dreams, but Misa loved waking him up.

One morning, after she'd shoved him off his bed in an attempt to wake him, he said, "Misa, do you really have to wake me up in such a violent manner?"

She simply grinned. "I don't _have_ to, of course, but you look so funny when I push you off of the bed. It's amusing."

"Is that so?" Beyond asked, lifting an arm to encircle Misa's wrist.

"Hey, what are y– HEY!" she yelled as B yanked on her arm, pulling her to the ground next to him.

Misa winced when her back hit the ground, and Beyond couldn't resist chuckling a bit at her current state. Misa pouted, and Beyond broke into laughter. Misa tried to keep the pout on her face, but couldn't resist laughing along with him. They laughed for a few minutes before they ran out of breath, and Misa looked up at B. Although he'd stopped laughing, there was still a wide grin on his face. It wasn't laced with malice, like it had been the first time he smiled at her. No, this smile radiated genuine happiness. She smiled.

"You know, I think that's the first time I've ever heard you sound so happy." she said. "I like it when you laugh, and when you smile. You should do them more often."

Beyond's face turned a light shade of red, and he avoided Misa's gaze as he rose to his feet. "Whatever." he muttered as he went into the kitchen. "What do we have to eat? I'm hungry."

Misa sat up, and giggled. _He got embarrassed, so he changed the subject. _she thought. _How cute. _"I'll make something for you, Ichigo." she told him as she rose to her feet and ran after him. "We can have omelets for breakfast, 'cause we haven't had those in a while."

"That sounds nice." he replied, still avoiding her gaze. Misa couldn't resist chuckling at his cuteness. He was acting so strange. Was something wrong with him? Maybe Misa had said something bad by mistake. Though, he didn't seem to be offended, so maybe it was something else.

Misa quickly got to work, retrieving things like eggs and spatulas and cheese for the omelets. Beyond watched interestedly as she ran around the kitchen hurriedly. He didn't know why, but he liked seeing her so active. He would've helped her cook, if he knew how to make an omelet. He'd seen it done, but had never attempted it himself. So he let her do it.

When she finally finished the omelet, it was rather large, so she cut it down the middle and gave him a half. "Is it yummy?" she asked him.

"Yes, very 'yummy'." he replied, chucking a bit at her word usage. Beyond didn't know why, but Misa had a thing for using words such as "yummy" in place of more mature words, like "good" or "tasty". Not that he minded. He found it endearing.

_Wait, endearing? Why would I find that **endearing**? _ he wondered. _It almost sounds like I'm...no, that can't be it. There's no way that I'm developing a crush on Misa-chan...is there?_

Before he could further contemplate his opinion of Misa, the blonde was behind him, poking his head and punctuating each poke with the word, "Hey!" He ignored her at first, but after a while it got irritating, so he muttered, "Yes, Misa?"

"Do you wanna go out today?" she asked. "A new roller skating rink just got made down the road. They aren't open yet, but before they do open, I asked if I could go in with a friend to skate, and they said yes!"

"When did you do this?" B inquired. "And how'd you convince the owner?"

"Before you woke up. It's not that far a walk, so I got back in, like, half an hour." Misa replied, giving a grin. "And I'm Misa-Misa! If I ask nicely, I can have anything!"

"Oh."

"So, do you wanna come? It'll be fun, I promise!"

"But..."

"But what?"

"I...don't know how to roller skate." B mumbled.

"You don't?" Misa questioned in disbelief. When B nodded in confirmation, Misa jumped up, pulling him with her. "Well, now we gotta go! I'll teach you to roller skate, and maybe I'll even teach you to ice skate sometime later! Then, we can maybe go out and have lunch! It'll be lots of fun!"

"O-okay."

"Are you alright? You seem kinda flustered." Misa looked up at B curiously. "Are you scared?"

"...yeah. I'm not used to being social like this..." he muttered in embarrassment. Misa giggled and grabbed his hand.

"Don't worry, I'll help you! There won't be anyone else at the skating rink, so you don't have to be too concerned." she assured him. "It'll just be you and me."

_Just us... _"Well, I guess that's okay, then."

"Great!" Misa exclaimed, pulling him toward the door. "Let's go!"

* * *

Beyond had been right when he said that he had no clue how to skate – although Misa made it look fairly easy (she even had the audacity to skate backwards and not fall), when B tried to skate without holding on to anything, he fell flat on his face. He was thoroughly embarrassed, and expected Misa to laugh at his current state. However, all she did was mutter something to herself – something B couldn't hear – and skate over to him to help him up.

"I know it looks easy, but it can be real hard, especially on your first time." she explained as she helped him to his feet. "You gotta hold on to the rail first, and get used to having wheels on the bottom of your shoes. And then you can try to skate around like this!" She pushed away from him, and skated in the center of the rink, where there were some lights flashing. Misa had allowed the lights, but when the man that owned the rink had tried to turn music on, Misa shook her head and said, "He prefers the quiet."

So, all that was audible were the sounds of wheels rolling against the floor, Misa's instructions to Beyond, and B's small gasps of surprise when he thought that he was going to fall.

After trying to keep his balance for several minutes, Beyond was finally able to skate without holding on to the rail, and Misa stopped skating circles in the center when she saw him do so.

"Okay, now here's the real hard part!" she said, taking his hands in hers and pulling him away from the railing. "You have to skate all on your own, without the rail to support you! If you need help, I'll hold you up!"

"A-alright." B agreed, hesitantly. When Misa released his hands, he began to skate around, smiling in excitement and glee when he not only stayed upright, but managed to skate to both ends of the rink and back to the center.

"Great job!" Misa cheered, gliding over to him and throwing her arms around him in a hug. He had to wrap his arms around her as well, to keep from losing his balance. When she removed herself from him, she grabbed both of his hands and began to spin them, giggling all the while. "I love roller skating." she told him. "I almost feel like I'm flying!"

"I do, too!" he replied ecstatically as they twirled. _This is a lot of fun, with just the two of us. _B thought, smiling at Misa's glee-filled expression. Misa released his hands and spun over to the rail, laughing a bit when her back hit it.

"Well, now that you know how to roller skate, we can come here a lot and skate together, right?"

"Of course, Misa." he replied, his smile widening. He didn't want to leave, not while he and Misa were having so much fun, but Misa declared it to be lunch time, so he complied and returned the roller skates to the man running the rink.

"Thank you for letting us skate here!" Misa called to the owner, who had been watching them skate with a pleased look on his face.

"You are quite welcome." he replied, smiling good-naturedly. "It's nice to see kids like you. Not that many people are have the kind of love that you two do."

At this, both Misa and Beyond's faces went aflame. "She's not my girlfriend!" he cried at the same time Misa exclaimed, "He's not my boyfriend!"

The owner simply chuckled, and ran a hand through his hair. "I see. Sorry that I messed that up. But you two do have a good friendship."

"Totally!" Misa interjected, throwing her arms around B and causing his face to redden again. "He's the best friend ever!"

The owner merely nodded in response, and Misa called out, "Goodbye!" as she dragged Beyond away out of the building.

"That was lots of fun, wasn't it?" Misa asked when they had gone far enough from the building. "I didn't think you'd like skating as much as I do, but I guess I was wrong!"

"I enjoyed the feeling of flying." B explained. "Since it's something I'll never really experience, it was nice."

"Now, c'mon, that's not true." Misa said, smiling at him. "You can fly if you want to. You just gotta dream really hard, and you gotta want it really bad! And then..." At this, Misa spread out her arms on either side of her. "And then, you'll really be flying!" She began to run around, her arms spread out like a pair of wings, as she made whirring sounds that resembled that of an airplane. "Weeeeee!"

Beyond couldn't resist laughing softly at her innocence. She really was like a child. It was too cute.

_I called her cute again... _he realized. _Am I really falling in love with Misa? Dammit, why'd that have to happen? There's no way she'd ever love me back..._

"Hey, Beyond, look!"

"Hm?" Beyond looked up at Misa as his train of thought was derailed.

"Ice cream!" she exclaimed, pointing to an ice cream vendor who was a few feet away. He was looking over at them and smiling.

"Do you want one?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for his (stolen) wallet.

"Yes, please!" she replied, "flying" over to the man. Beyond followed, covering his mouth with his hand as he chuckled. He couldn't seem to stop.

"What kind do you want, Misa?"

"I want strawberry, please!" she said, looking excitedly at the cone already in the ice cream man's hand. Before Beyond could say anything, he'd already put two scoops of ice cream on the cone, and handed it to Misa.

"Is that everything?" the man asked.

"Actually, can I get a strawberry cone, too?" B asked, pulling out the wallet and opening it up.

"Sure." the man replied, putting two more scoops of ice cream on a fresh cone and handing it to B. "That'll be two dollars."

Beyond handed the man the owed amount, and he put the money into a pouch. "Thank you." When Misa walked away to sit on a bench and eat her cone, the vendor grinned. "You're a lucky guy, you know, getting with a girl like that." he said.

B's face went aflame again. Did they _really _look so much like a couple? "Sh-she's not my girlfriend." he muttered. The ice cream vendor blinked in surprise.

"Really? Wow," he said in disbelief. Then he gave a knowing smile. "Well, you'd better get her now. If she isn't with anyone yet, she will be, real soon."

"I'll take your advice." B said, although he didn't really mean it. Or did he? "Thank you." With this, he turned and walked over to Misa, who had finished the first scoop of ice cream and was now working on the second.

"Hey!" she called when she saw him approaching. "I'm almost done with my ice cream. What should we do after this?"

"I think we should go home." he said, looking up at the sky. It was still a bright blue. _Oh, that reminds me... _"Hey, Misa, do you like to look at the stars?"

"Yeah, I love the stars! Astronomy is fun!" she replied, biting off a piece of the ice cream cone. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, by the place where I used to live, there was a really nice park," he explained. "It was usually crowded in the day, but if you went into the center, there was almost no one there, because of all the walking involved. There's a bench by a pond there and, at night, you can see the stars perfectly. I was thinking that, maybe...you'd want me to show it to you." He began to blush as he considered the implications of what he'd said – it almost sounded like a date. Misa probably wouldn't want to go with him...

"Oh, that sounds great!" she exclaimed, sticking what was left of her ice cream cone in her mouth. "I'd love to go!"

"We'll have to go late at night, then." he said, a bit surprised that she agreed. But then again, why shouldn't she have? They were friends, after all. _Friends..._

"Alright, sounds good!" she agreed, grabbing his arm. "But, for now, let's go home!" With this, she pulled him away from the bench. B managed to sneak one last glance at the ice cream vendor, who mouthed something that, to him, looked like he'd said, "Good luck!"

_I'll need it, _he thought.

* * *

By the time eleven o'clock hit, Beyond and Misa were on their way through the town. It was dark out, and Misa was frightened, but B wasn't worried. He'd gone around town all the time at night before he lived with Misa, so he wasn't afraid at all. He knew that there was nothing to be scared of. Misa, however, was inconsolable.

"The-there's probably a burglar or a murderer or something around here!" she exclaimed, though keeping her voice a bit quieter. "They'll kill you and rob me!"

"Why am I the one that's getting killed?" B asked her playfully. She stuck her tongue out at him and clung to his arm.

"You're strong, so you have to protect me!"

"Of course, my friend." he said, chuckling. "Anything for you."

Misa didn't respond to this. Beyond vaguely wondered if he'd said something wrong, but forgot about it when they arrived at the park. Misa immediately saw that it was beautiful – although the colors were dimmed by the moon's pale light, it only made everything even more breathtaking.

"It's so pretty..." she muttered.

"It gets better." B replied. "Come on."

Misa followed him eagerly as he lead her through the large park. As she walked, she saw some animals scurry past. She giggled – she loved animals.

"It's really nice here, Beyond." Misa told him.

He smiled over his shoulder at her. "I'm glad you like it. I actually helped plant and take care of a few of the plants here."

A smile bloomed on Misa's face. "Really?" she cried excitedly.

"Yeah," he said, "and no one knew it was me. They pinned the growth of the plants on some mystery stranger." He chuckled at this. "I couldn't have let them know it was me, though."

"Why not?" Misa asked, pouting.

"If they realized that I existed, I'd be one more suspect in their murder cases." he explained. "So I never said anything."

"Oh," Misa replied softly. For the remainder of the walk, she didn't say anything, but she merely stared at the plants and trees and flowers. _Beyond helped plant these..._

As they went along, the trees grew taller and taller until they about covered the sky completely. Misa thought it resembled more of a forest than a park. Plants began to grow from their places on the sides of the path to on the path itself, and Misa barely avoided stepping on a small, white daisy. Smiling, she bent over and picked it up, twirling it in her fingers as she walked. She'd put it in her hair or something later. After some time of walking in silence, Beyond stopped and said, "The pond is right over there. I'll let you go first."

"Okay..." Misa said, stepping out into what appeared to be the open field, judging by the amount of light. She closed her eyes as she went over to the bench, not wanting to look until she could see the beauty of the spot in its entirety. When she opened her eyes, she gasped lightly. The small pond, the one B had mentioned, looked almost mystifying in the pale blue light. The reflection of the moon shimmered on the surface, and Misa was awestruck by the beauty. She looked around herself, and saw several flowers and trees, all of them dyed pale blue in the light of the moon. Beyond smiled over at her as he watched her glance around – he knew she'd love it.

Misa walked over to the pond, and looked inside. She could see fish swimming about, ones that she could identify, and ones that she could not. Although she had never liked fish much, at this moment, all was beautiful. The fish, especially the orange and white koi fish that was most prominent, were no exception.

Beyond strolled over to her. "I put that fish in there myself," he explained. "It was more used to living in water gardens, though, so I have to take care of it."

Misa looked at Beyond in awe as he glanced around the area admiringly. To think, he'd done so much...

"You haven't seen the best part." he said, pointing up at the sky. "Look up."

Misa nodded and slowly raised her eyes to look at the sky, her eyes widening. Along with the moon's light blue glow, there were so many stars twinkling beside it. They glittered, one by one, and Misa immediately noticed one star that was brighter than the others.

"That's the North Star," she said, pointing to it. "It's so vibrant..."

"That one has always been my favorite." Beyond said. "When I got lost as a child, that star helped me find my way to the nearest town." He sighed, feeling a sudden wave of nostalgia overcome him. "Things were so much simpler then."

Misa lowered her head and stared at Beyond. When he noticed, he blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to say, "What?", but was cut off when Misa threw herself at him, and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you, Beyond." she said. He gasped lightly – she never used his real name. "Thank you so much. This-this is all so beautiful." She raised her head and smiled up at him. Whether it was just the stars or her own happiness being projected, Beyond didn't know, but her eyes twinkled brightly. In the light of the moon, it made her ice-blue eyes even bluer. She looked absolutely stunning.

"You're welcome, Misa." he replied, smiling down at her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Misa suddenly shivered and, removing herself from B, said, "C-can we go home now? It's starting to get cold out..."

"Of course, Misa." B replied, holding out his hand to her. She took it gratefully and he pulled her away from the spot that she now loved with a great intensity. She turned to look back, and to glance at the star-covered sky once more before its beauty left her. "We'll have to go there again, Beyond." she told him.

"Yeah." he replied. "We'll go again soon."

"Great." she said, smiling to herself. "I can't wait."

* * *

Misa was extremely tired when they got home, whether it have been due to the lateness of the hour, or the fact that it had always been a dream of hers to fall asleep while watching the stars, and especially when the stars were so beautiful.

So, when they returned, Misa fairly flopped onto her bed, without bothering to change her clothes. Beyond decided that, for the time being, he'd read one of the books in the bookshelf that Misa owned.

"Goodnight, Ichigo." she called out weakly.

"Goodnight, Misa-chan." he replied, searching through the bookcase for anything relevant to his interests. Finally selecting a book titled "Misfortune", he went over to his bed and sat down, leaning back on the pillow. He enjoyed the nights when he was able to sit down with a good book.

He'd been reading for quite some time when he heard – or thought he heard – a whimpering sound coming from Misa's room. Because the sound disappeared when he stopped to listen, he simply shrugged it off and went back to his book. However, that sound was quickly followed by what sounded like a sob.

_Is Misa...crying? _he wondered as he set his book down and slowly walked over to Misa's bedroom. He pushed the door open just as he heard another cry, followed by Misa crying out, "Mommy! D-Daddy!"

_She's having a nightmare. _he confirmed as he pushed the door open all the way and entered. _I have to wake her. _Misa was laying on her back, and her face was stained with tears. "M-Mommy!" she yelled, and more tears fell down her face.

"Misa, wake up." he said, shaking her slightly. He jumped in surprise when she slapped his hand away, and yelled, "Don't touch me! P-please!"

_What did I do? D-did I hurt her? _he wondered. _But, she's still asleep..._ "Misa, _wake up._" he demanded as he shook her again. Her sobs multiplied and she called out, "You hurt them! M-Mommy and Daddy..."

Beyond grabbed both of her shoulders and sat her up, shaking her a bit more. "Misa, _please._ Wake up!"

After a moment, she stopped crying and slowly opened her eyes. She gave a small sigh of relief when she saw Beyond staring at her, but threw her arms around him, and clung to him as she cried. B wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug. It was all he could do.

"Th-they, they were killed!" she yelled into his shirt. "My mom, my dad...r-right in front of me! I'll n-never forget it..."

B gasped lightly. _"Why do you need to control your dreams, Misa?" _he'd asked._ "...If I don't, they'll come back," _she'd told him. Was this who she meant?

"Misa, when did this happen?" he asked gently.

She gave a small sob. "Y-years and years ago. I wasn't even in sc-school yet. I was so young, but it's been engraved in my memory, and no matter what I do, I-I can't forget it...i-if I don't try to co-control my dreams, I see them dying, again and again, and I can't do anything about it..."

Misa sobbed again, and B felt the tears continue to pour down her face and soak his shirt. He nudged his shoulder so that she'd lift her head.

"Please, Misa, don't cry." he said. He took her face in his hands and gently brushed the tears away with his thumbs, causing Misa to blush.

"I-I'm sorry...I should've gotten over it by now, but I-I just can't..." she mumbled, covering his hands with hers. More tears threatened to fall from her blue eyes, but Beyond wouldn't allow it. He moved his hand to the back of her head, and raked his fingers through her golden hair.

"Misa...I don't want to see you cry. Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't cry." The words fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself. He hadn't meant to say it out loud...

Misa gasped, an almost inaudible sound. "Wh...what?"

B inhaled deeply. Since he'd begun, he couldn't stop now. "Misa, you're beautiful. You're beautiful and sweet and kind, and you shouldn't have to go through this. I wish I could help you to feel better. What I'm trying to say, Misa..." He exhaled. "What I'm trying to say is that I...I-I..."

"Y-you...?" Misa began, staring up at him.

"...I love you, Misa."

Misa gasped, a bit louder than before. "You...you l-love me?"

"Yes, Misa." he replied, releasing her face and removing his hand from her hair. He looked away nervously. "I understand that you don't feel the same, but I had to te–"

"You _idiot_!" Misa interjected. The outburst caused Beyond to jump. He turned to face Misa again, hoping that she'd explain, but instead, was surprised when something warm and soft pressed against his lips. After recovering from his shock, he realized that the thing was Misa's lips touching his own. He almost smiled when he wrapped his arms around her middle, and his eyes slid closed as he pressed into the kiss. They remained like that for a minute, just kissing, before Misa pulled away.

"I can't believe you loved me all this time, and didn't say anything!" she complained. Her expression soon grew soft. "Beyond...Beyond, I don't know when it happened. I don't. But all of a sudden, I couldn't look at you without thinking about how handsome you were. And when you laughed, I was happy. God, Beyond, I-I thought you'd hate me if I ever told you the truth..."

"I could never hate you, Misa." he responded. "But what are you trying to say?"

Misa giggled lightly, knowing that he wanted to hear her say it, and pulled him into another hug. "I'm in love with you, too, Ichigo."

He captured her chin in his hand and raised her head so that their eyes met. "You aren't lying, are you?" he questioned.

"Of course not." Misa replied. "I would never."

Beyond smiled. "Then, Misa...will you be mine?"

Misa almost squealed as she tackled him to the bed. The force of her hug had knocked him over. "O-of course I'll be yours!"

"Okay, but if you agree, you'll also have to agree to one thing." Beyond said.

Misa pouted. "What?"

"If anything happens that makes you upset, like that dream you just had...you have to tell me. Tell me, and I'll comfort you. I never want to see you cry like that again. Understand?"

Misa smiled up at him, and nodded. "Yes, I promise."

"Well then, I think it's time to sleep." he said, rolling onto his side.

Misa's cheek went aflame. "Y-you're gonna sleep here? With me?"

"You don't want me to?"

"Th-that's not it..."

"If you don't want me to, I'll leave." B said, moving to stand.

"No!" Misa cried, grabbing onto his arm. "I-I might have that dream again. If I do, I want you to be here, with me..."

Beyond smiled, and resumed his position next to Misa. He wrapped an arm around Misa's shoulders. "That's fine with me."

Misa smiled. "Thank you. Goodnight, Ichigo."

As she closed her eyes, Beyond pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, Love." Misa quickly fell asleep, but B stayed awake to watch her. She looked so peaceful when she slept...

"Mommy..." she mumbled. Beyond's eyes widened and he grabbed onto her shoulder, preparing to wake her again, when she suddenly smiled. "I-it was a dream..." She was still asleep, but she grabbed onto his shirt, and moved closer. "Thank you, Ich'go..."

Beyond smiled. Maybe scum like him was worthy of having someone like her, after all.

* * *

**A/N: And that is the conclusion of "Until I Met You". I admit that I did a bit of a rush job at the end (I finished the ending portion at two in the morning ^-^') but I like it. ^_^ In all honesty, I can't remember when Misa's parents were actually killed. Was Misa older, or was she young? And I know that both Misa and B got a little OOC here, and I apologize for that. But, I do hope you enjoyed this two-shot. And thank you for reading. ^_^**

**(By the way, that book Beyond is reading, "Misfortune", actually exists. It is by Wesley Stace. It's a good read, but it is a lot to take in at once. If you don't care for more...graphic scenes, this book is not for you. Because those occur. A lot.)**


End file.
